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If you think of a wagon only as a “station wagon” with fake wood on the side and ocean-liner handling prowess-the ho-hum precursor to sport/utilities and minivans-you’ve got a lot to learn.

Even though American manufacturers have all but abandoned wagons in lieu of the more popular sport/utes, Europeans buy thousands of them each year. Travel the streets of Europe, and you won’t see many sport/utes or minivans. Instead, you’ll come face to face with sport wagons. Fun-loving, gear-hauling, and great-handling machines that make a lot of sense. To test the latest players, we took five of Europe’s finest sport wagons on a trip to some of California’s tallest and most beautiful mountains. The machines: Audi A4 Avant, BMW 540i Sport, Mercedes-Benz E320, Saab 95, and Volvo V40. The roads: tight mountain switchbacks, long, steep grades, and wide, sweeping corners. Our goal: to see if today’s European sport wagons are worthy of the California Alps or are just upgraded versions of your parents’ ’70s log-sided battle barge.

Audi A4 1.8T Avant Quattro You have to be a bit of an efficiency freak to be drawn to the A4 Avant. It’s decidedly on the small side, with only 120.2 cubic feet of interior volume, including the luggage compartment. On the other hand, if you value the look, feel, and convenience of a smaller car over raw sheetmetal acreage, and you and your passengers aren’t too big, the A4 can be an excellent choice. It’s available with either four-cylinder or V-6 power, both with full-time quattro all-wheel drive. Something of a screaming bargain among this field, the Audi A4 1.8 T Avant comes standard with a modest level of luxury equipment relative to the other wagons here. A CD player and power driver’s seat are optional, as is an automatic transmission. The happy flip side is that, at $27,500 as tested, the 1.8 T is downright affordable.

Audi actually seemed to pack as much punch as the normally aspirated V-8 BMW 540i-important for all three of you who do your drag racing above the treeline. For flatlanders, the Audi’s 2.8-liter/190-horsepower V-6 upgrade is worthy of strong consideration.

The biggest payback for the Avant’s small size comes in its nimble driving feel. Its controlled test track numbers (0.83 lateral g on the skidpad and 63.1 mph through the slalom) put it at the leading edge of this field. And on serpentine mountain roads, the A4 felt even better. The ride is compliant and controlled, matched with progressive grip in the turns, restrained body roll and accurate steering feel. Our car, with the optional Sport Package (a bargain at $750), felt completely at home no whatever we threw at it, from the dirt trails above Bodie to the insane, high-altitude twists of the Bristlecone Pine road. For light packers, the Audi A4 1.8T Avant Quattro is an exceptionally efficient choice.

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BMW 540i Sport Wagon How many vehicles can rip to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds from a dead stop? Oh, sure, a Viper or Corvette can. But could you see the Viper doing the deed with a canoe strapped on the roof, or the Corvette accelerating while carrying five people and camping gear? Well, not only can the BMW 540i Sport Wagon haul a canoe and loads of gear, it can do it while blasting to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. Even though most of America is gaga over sport/utes and minivans, many Europeans still love a good wagon-and the BMW 540i Sport is one of the best.

Power for the 540i wagon comes from the same great 4.4-liter/282-horse DOHC V-8 that propels the 540i sedan. Even though the 5 Series wagon can be had with the 2.8-liter/193-horsepower I-6 engine (528i), we love the 4.4-liter. It pushes the 4056-pound car through the quarter mile in a speedy 14.4 seconds at 95.6 mph. Aiding this is the standard BMW Steptronic five-speed-one of the best automatics we’ve tested. Shifts are smooth around town, but aggressive when needed. Manual up- and downshifting with the Steptronic function give the sportiness of a manual with the convenience of an automatic. Other standard drivetrain equipment (optional on the sedan) includes deeper rearend gears and high stall-speed torque converter for sporty performance even when loaded with stuff.

smart airbags in front, front side, and optional rear-side positions.

The interior is typical BMW-nearly perfect in design and function. Highlights include the “M” steering wheel (why, on a non-“M” product?) equipped with radio controls, rear air-conditioning ducts, standard leather upholstery, and wood trim, optional navigation system and a standard sunroof. There’s a full-size spare tire and aluminum wheel under the rear floor, a 70/30 split folding rear seat, four tie-down anchors, and a retractable cargo cover. The only interior flaws are poor (single-only) sunvisors and skimpy cupholders and lack of an in-dash CD player.

We drove this hot Euro-wagon thousands of miles and could’ve driven even more, smiling all the way. The BMW 540i Sport Wagon may be the most expensive car in this test ($60,450), but if you could only own one vehicle, this would be the car to have. It brings a whole new meaning to the word “haul.”

Mercedes-Benz E320 Wagon We already know most people buy sport/utilities because they wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan. Fair enough. Image is pretty important when you’re shelling out your hard-earned greenbacks. But what if you’re a Mercedes fan, with your heart set on a shiny ML-Class SUV, then discover it’s just not big enough for your growing family? Hmmmm. Well, maybe it’s time to consider the roomy and luxuriant E320 wagon.

The number-one advantage of this wagon is its people-carrying size. Not only is its overall passenger compartment the largest of this group, but the backseat area boasts excellent head and shoulder room. Got seven? Pull the cargo area’s rear-facing bench out of its hideaway hole, and two youths (the seat’s best left for under five-footers) can have their own fun place to ride. Mercedes’ engineers thoughtfully installed two cupholders, a 12-volt power point, and an inside tailgate release, so rear riders won’t feel cheated. (However, don’t overlook the ugly spectre of backward-facing motion sickness.) When you’re traveling sans rear riders, fold both rows of seats down and bring along up to 82.6 cubic feet of cargo.

Volvo V40Volvo is plugging a significant hole in its product line with the 40 Series sedan and wagon, creating a more affordable entry point into the Ford-owned Swedish luxury marque. Targeting maturing Gen-Xers (an oxymoron?), these European transplants offer a counter-culture alternative to the Accord/Camry/Taurus mainstream, appealing more to BMW dreamers. While falling shy of their true midsize competitors, these spunky front-drivers make it up in personality, features, and exclusivity.

BMW 3 Series, delivering a quality ride that would satisfy most drivers.

Dressed in imported wannabe wood trim, the leather-lined interior was quite inviting. Moderately bolstered front buckets provide a high comfort level, while the 60/40-split rear bench is acceptable for two, tight for three. Unlike some other wagons, the rear center headrest recesses when not needed to maximize visibility. Good control placement and actuation, such as the one-touch moonroof, enhances driver comfort. The uplevel stereo with AM/FM/CD/cassette head unit and premium speakers thundered crisply with Rammstein and appropriately Netherlandish Clan of Xymox through the high country. (Yuck.-Ed.)

Pop the rear hatch to access 30.2 cubic feet of space, including a handy cargo-netted area to the side perfect for small items or fragile groceries. A simple-yet-clever cargo seatbelt can connect to two different anchor points to secure large items. Visually, the Volvo cargo area appears tighter than the Audi’s due to interior trim around wheelwells, though measured about the same side to side. Flip, fold, and tuck the rear bench away to expose 61.3 cubic feet atop a fairly flat load floor ready for a small furniture-fetching trip to IKEA.

The 40 Series is destined to accomplish the goal of luring younger blood into the Volvo’s graying owner body by offering a near-lux package at a near-mainstream price. The svelte wagon has few true competitors, permitting the V40 to stake out a comfortable marketplace territory defended by performance, packaging, design, and price virtues.

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